Snowed In
by SomedayonBroadway
Summary: Christmas is a time to be with family and the people you love. Or a random stranger at the bar. Close enough, right?
1. Baby, It’s Cold Outside

**Hello friends! Happy December! I'm so excited! This is my first Christmas one shot this year! Don't worry, there will be more. Two more in this universe and I also have two requests :). Sorry again for the delay with my other stories, but I would like to write all of these before Christmas.**

 **Anyways! Please please enjoy!**

Of course this would happen. It only made sense that the calm snow fall would somehow become a full on blizzard during the... two and a half hours that she's been sitting by herself... in a bar... on Christmas Eve...

It wasn't so bad, she supposed. It was quiet, giving her time to think and debate on whether or not she should feel guilty. And get just a little tipsy, but that was neither here nor there. The bartender had given her an odd look when she'd come in, all by herself, shivering a little bit before sitting down and ordering a scotch. He hadn't spoken to her much. In the few moments that she hadn't been lost in thought, staring down at her glass, she'd caught him looking out the window, almost as if he was waiting for someone to walk through the door. He'd caught her staring a few times... she couldn't help it. As much as she wanted to deny it, the man was hot. A rugged, rough looking young kind of hot. A bad boy kind of hot.

Yeah. She was a little tipsy.

"Got somewhere ta be, darlin'?" he'd asked eventually, after two hours of peace, as he wiped down the counter just in front of her.

"What's it to you?" she muttered, not even looking up, slumping forward with her chin resting atop of one of her hands, an elbow on the bar, looking more and more lost by the second.

"Well, it don't look like either a' us 're goin' no where f'r now..." His accent was thick, no doubt this man was a born and bred New Yorker. "Snows really comin' down out there..."

The snow... in the time that she'd gotten in, lost it, til now, the light, Christmas snow that had been falling from the sky had turned into a full fledged storm.

The young woman watched the bartender shake his head a little before turning back towards her. "Well, Red," he smiled, giving a small shrug. "Welcome ta the island of misfit toys. Can I get ya somethin' ta eat?"

And that's how she ended up sitting in a booth by herself, slowly munching on a few fries whilst trying to distract herself with a pen and paper, desperate to make her head stop whirling around with guilt and anger.

It was her fault, she supposed. She had started it. But _he's_ the one who hinted at it. This was not her fault. Was it?

"So what's your story, beautiful?"

Her head shot up. She hadn't realized the man had taken a seat in front of her at all. But when she looked up from writing in her oh so beloved journal, he seemed to have been there for a least a few minutes, his own pencil in his hand and some kind of notebook leaning up against the table, just out of her line of vision. "Who says I have one?" she retorted, staring blankly down at the words on her pages.

When she glanced back up, she caught the raised eyebrow he shot back her way, pausing in whatever it was that he was doing, and he scoffed at her. "A pretty thing like you, by yourself at a bar on Christmas Eve... there's definitely a story there," he stated before returning to his work.

"Well, random bartender I've never met before, how do you know I even celebrate Christmas?" she quizzed, leaning forward just a little, catching the way he moved his book a little closer to his chest. But he smirked at her, shaking his head just a bit.

"I think you'll find I pay lots of attention ta detail, Red," he answered easily, leaning a little closer to her too. His deep green eyes locked in on hers and he grinned when she furrowed her eyebrows. "You're necklace is a Christmas tree an' you's dressed far too nice ta come to a bar on 'just anotha' Monday night'."

She had to admit, she was a little surprised. But he had her. She did celebrate Christmas. And she wanted to love it, just like she had as a kid. But it wasn't the same anymore. It wasn't carefree and happy or hopeful anymore. It was another day that she was cornered by _him_ and another day they screamed at each other. "You got me," she tried to laugh out, only biting her lip when she wanted to scream again. "I just came here because I couldn't fight with him anymore..." she muttered out, slumping down just a little more, not quite knowing why this man was speaking to her. She probably looked pathetic.

"Who's 'him'?" the guy questioned, probably before even thinking. She looked up at him, trying to figure out why he was asking so many questions.

She wanted to know what was behind that pad. It didn't look like a journal and it definitely didn't look like he was writing anything. "Do you talk to all of your customers like this?"

With a cocky grin and a glance over his page at her, a much too focused glance, he shook his head. "Just the pretty ones," he answered, biting his lip just a little in concentration. It was then Katherine realized what he was doing, pencil in his left hand, fingers so perfectly placed and eyes continuing to search for his reference.

He was drawing.

"Are you drawing me?" she asked, somewhat intrigued and somewhat confused. She looked awful. She knew she did.

"I's just drawin' a beautiful woman who I'd like ta get ta know a little." And damn it if he wasn't hot... "I'm Jack," he extended his hand to her, the one that she could now catch the smudges of ink and paint on. "Jack Kelly."

Shaking his hand, she nodded. "Very nice to meet you, Mr. Kelly. But I don't remember giving you permission to use my portrait."

At this, Jack laughed. "Most people don't, Miss. But that's okay. Normally I's let 'me keep these anyhow..." he said, placing his pencil down on the table before carefully tearing the page away from his book. "Although, it'd be nice ta have a name ta call this one 'fore I's give it away..."

With a playful roll of her eyes, she shook her head. This man really was too good to be true. Maybe she was dreaming. Maybe she was drunk and he was some hideous creep that she'd regret even speaking to in the morning. It couldn't be real how charming this guy was.

Then again, she was a little bit drunk.

"Katherine..." she answered finally. "Pul- uh... Plumber..."

"Okay Katherine Pul-uh-Plumber," he laughed, giving his art one last glance over before turning it towards her and gently setting it down next to her plate. "Really, I w's drawin' a very pretty girl that I'd like ta get ta know a little, but if you want it, it's all yours."

Katherine froze when she saw it, dropping a fry that she'd intended on eating back onto the plate beside her. She was scared to touch it. It wasn't real. This man hadn't even been sitting there for that long. But... it was her, so realistic it could've been a photograph. But it looked like her when she was happy... her lips were lined in a small smile and her eyes were somehow full of life and hope. Speechless, she let her mouth hang open in pure awe.

"It's j'st a sketch, but I'm glad you like it..."

Before Katherine could even comprehend any words to say, she was already grasping at her own journal, flipping through pages until she found what she was looking for. "Can you draw characters?" she rushed out, sliding the book over to the mysterious man across from her. "This is a book I've been working on for _years_! It's a children's novel and I need an illustrator who can do what you just did! And-"

"Whoa, hold your roll there, sweetheart, I ain't no professional..." Jack laughed, though she could hear the disappointment in his voice as he scratched that back of his neck. "This is somethin' I do f'r fun... I w's just tryin' ta-"

"Flirt. I know," Katherine replied easily. "And if I hadn't had a few drinks already, I'd try to tell you that it wasn't working." What the hell had gotten into her? " _I'm_ just trying to offer you a chance to make money off of doing something that you clearly enjoy, while also trying to win an argument with the world's worst father." It was out of her mouth before she could stop it. She expected him to up and leave right there, believing her to be completely crazy. Oddly enough, he just chuckled a little, though it sounded just a little bitter.

"Believe me, Plumber... ya ain't got no clue what that means..." he responded sadly, taking her notebook into his hands and reading over the paper.

"Your dad was unsupportive too?"

Without looking up from the page, Jack shook his head. "It's Christmas Eve, Red. Ya don't need ta hear it..."

"My father hates that I want to write. Says I should just be some kind of trophy wife for a rich man because I'm 'already set for life'." Damn. She had no filter. Why couldn't she stop talking? And why couldn't she stop staring at him? He wasn't that attractive. Okay... maybe that was a lie. But seriously, she never told anyone about the fights. They were supposed to be one big happy family. But Jack stayed silent, still glancing over the paper he'd been handed, hesitating to respond. "C'mon..." she prompted. "I'm willing to swap backstories. We're both here, alone, on Christmas Eve. You said you wanted to get to know me and I'm drunk enough to try and indulge..."

"Trust me, your high 'll prob'ly be gone by the time I's finished."

"C'mon, I'm sure it wasn't all bad..." it couldn't be.

With a laugh Jack kind of shrugged and took out his sketchbook again. "My fatha's dead..." that was all it took. Katherine's smile fell. The way he said it, it was like he felt nothing, like he was simply stating a fact that he had no connection to. "Suicide. I was two."

He was right. The buzz was gone. "Jack... I'm so sorry... you don't have to-"

"Ma was a deadbeat," he continued, like he hadn't even heard her. He was drawing, so focused on the papers in front of him that Katherine could tell he was disconnected from the topic. It was probably the only reason he could get through it. "She ran away when I was seven. Think she changed 'er name n' left the country. Afta' that... it was the system for me... n' with the system came shitty foster parents and one really fucked up home that I w's stuck in f'r a couple years. Almost got adopted by that maniac..." he mused, letting his pencil dance around the page as he read his reference and spilled out his story to a total stranger. "Trust me, darlin'... ya don't wanna know what the world's worst fatha' looks like..."

Katherine sat back in the booth, stunned and a little shaken by the man's story. "Jack... I'm so sorry..."

Glancing back up at her, the man only shrugged. "Eh, don't be. Without all a' that, I woulda neva' met my kid brotha's. I love those kids more n' anything..."

Somehow, this man got even hotter. With a small, sad smile, Katherine asked, "How old are they?"

"One of 'em j'st turned eighteen an' the other is only fifteen..." She could tell he was leaving out details. The way he said it made it sound like he hoped she would ask anymore questions. So she didn't. "They ain't had it too good at home neither. Ya wanna talk 'bout world's worst fatha', my kid Racer wins, I swear. I came in a close second with my foster dad. But he ain't technically my pa, so..."

Katherine felt bad for even asking to begin with. She had no room to complain about her father at this point, despite how crazy he made her. He'd never raise and hand to her. She knew that. But that didn't make her any less frustrated. "Jack... I don't know what ta say..."

"Ya don't gotta say nothin' if ya don't wanna," Jack laughed, letting his pencil dance around the paper even more as he began to shade and darken some of the lines. "But I wasn't kiddin' when I's said there was a beautiful lady sittin' here that I'd like ta get ta know a little. Ya heard my tragic backstory, only seems fair I should hear yours," he explained with a sort of smirk.

The girl couldn't help but let a small smile graze her lips as she watched the bartender draw, so careful and concentrated. "Well, I don't have much to say... I just had a fight with my dad, obviously..." she sighed, shrugging and shifting so she could sit crisscross on the bench across from the man in front of her as he worked. "He's mad at me because I'm not married to a rich man he tried to set me up with and he's mad because I want to be a children's writer. We have this same argument every time we're together. He says I'm not gonna be making enough money and that I'm gonna be miserable for the rest of my life..." He was wrong. She loved it. She loved writing. She loved seeing kids' faces light up when they read something they enjoyed. She wanted to see it more.

"Aww that don't sound so bad..." Jack sighed, placing his pencil on the table for a second and squeezing his hand into a fist to loosen his muscles before continuing in his drawing, still using Katherine's notebook every now and again. "Sounds ta me like he's worried 'bout ya..."

Raising her eyebrows, the young woman nodded, urging him to continue. "How so?"

Shrugging his shoulders, Jack just continued in his sketch before responding. "People always say 'Ya don' know what i's like ta be a parent till ya have kids'... well, my brothas... I helped raise 'em... n' I know I don' wan' 'em outta work, strugglin' fer money. I's wish I could just always give 'em what they need. It's terrifyin' ta know that they's gonna be out on their own one day... I don't want that for 'em..." The way he said it made so much sense. She couldn't understand why. "Take it from an orphan who saved one kid from gettin' beat ta death by his old man, and caught anotha' tryin' ta string hisself up cause his ma kept tellin' him how worthless he is... your dad sounds like he just wants ta look out for ya..."

She truly hadn't thought about it like that. Being someone who was supposed to be able to see things from different perspectives, she'd completely missed that one. "Why are you here? Shouldn't you be home? With your brothers?"

"Believe me, Plumber, if I's could be home, I would be there in a heartbeat. I thought about bravin' it, but I went out there f'r a couple minutes n' the snow was too thick ta walk two miles through... might try anyways lata'... I wanna be with my boys," he stated as he finished his drawing and placed his pencil aside to inspect his work.

"Yeah, it's bad out there. Almost up to your knees. You really should wait till morning..." Katherine replied lamely, not exactly knowing what else she could say.

"I don't think I's got much of a choice..." the man sighed, sliding his sketchbook over to the woman. It looked like he hadn't even put that much work into it by the expression on his face. But one look and Katherine didn't even question it. That was her.

That was Lucy.

She was beautiful. Tall, graceful, twirling around in a beautiful ballet skirt and slippers. Somehow she could see all the elegance and the drive within the girl while also seeing how innocent and cautious she was. She wasn't perfect and she didn't claim to be, but she worked hard for everything she had and she wasn't afraid to stand up for what she believed in.

"Oh my God... that's her... she's... she's perfect..."

"I wouldn't say perfect..." Jack chuckled, scratching the back of his neck and feeling heat rise to his cheeks at the awe Katherine was in. "But she's beautiful. The kid's'll love her..."

"I hope so..." Katherine smiled, still admiring the drawing. "Lucy was part of my childhood. I always imagined her growing up right along with me..."

"Did you dance?"

At the question, Katherine laughed. "I wanted to be a ballet dancer when I was little. I loved it more than anything..." She watched Jack chuckle right along with her.

"My brother Racer is a dancer... almost quit after..." with a shake of his head, Jack cut himself off. "He's amazing. Practices everyday f'r hours. Had ta turn my room inta a studio f'r him when we lived in a smaller apartment. Slept on the couch for a month or so. He told me not to, but I couldn't stand ta see him so miserable," he admitted, standing from the booth and walking over to the counter, grabbing a control from behind it and strolling back over to the girl who was smiling at him so sweetly. "Now, I may not be the best dancer, but we's stuck in a bar with no one but each otha' n' nothin' but some notebooks and some music... so would the most beautiful woman in the room like ta dance?" he asked, holding out his hand to her with a smirk and a wink.

"I thought you'd never ask," she sighed out dramatically, like they were in some kind of movie. With confidence and a new found kind of tipsy energy, she took his hand and let him pull her to his feet.

 _"Bells'll be ringin' the sad, sad news..."_ the stereo sang, a happy beat playing behind the desperate words. Jack grinned and held this beautiful stranger closer to him. She went along, letting him slip an arm around her waist and and hold her hand as they swayed happily to the music. _"Oh what a Christmas to have the blues..."_

"I love this song," Katherine smiled. It was so odd. Normally she wouldn't even give anyone the satisfaction of knowing she thought they were sweet, much less dance with them. But she couldn't help it.

 _"Please come home for Christmas! Please come home for Christmas, yeah..."_

"Tell me more about you, Plumber... ya know I's got two brothers... what about you? Any siblings?" he asked, curiously, still swaying along to the jazzy kind of beat.

"No... I'm an only child," she admitted with a shrug. "I always wanted a sister, though. Thought we'd be best friends. My parents didn't like the idea too much..." she chuckled out.

They talked for the better part of an hour, swaying along to music that was quickly forgotten as they just took in each other's presence, both desperate to be with someone on Christmas Eve, not knowing what they'd do if they were alone on one of the most important nights of the year.

"Tell me more about these brothers of yours," she'd asked after a while of talking about her bland life. It was practically perfect compared to his. "You seem to care about them a lot."

With a hesitant bite of his lip, Jack shrugged. "They's the best. Ain't much else ta tell..." he replied as the music slowed a little bit and Katherine, feeling the exhaustion of being so wound up earlier catch up, leaned her head on this stranger's shoulder. Though, after the past couple hours... she could hardly call him that anymore. He was just _Jack_.

"One of them likes dancing... what about the other? What does he do?" Glancing up at him, she could see Jack's face almost completely light up. There was no way she was this lucky. This man was most definitely taken already.

"He's a photographer. Amazing too. He knows everythin' about cameras, I swear." He was so proud of them. She could tell just by the way he spoke. She wished someone talked about her that way.

"My name's not really Plumber... not technically..." she mumbled out, pulling away from her new friend and sitting down right there on the floor, her legs stretched out in front of her and her arms behind her to hold up her torso. Jack looked a little confused for a second before he simply joined her on the ground. Before she said another word, she reached up onto the table she'd sat at before, grabbing the drink that had been forgotten hours ago and downing it in one go. "It's Pulitzer. Katherine Pulitzer. My Dad is one of the best writers in the country and I can never live up to that..."

"Hey, don't say that... from what I read, you're amazing, Katherine! Seriously, the kids are gonna love Lucy!" Jack promised and bumped her shoulder just a little to try and get a smile out of her. He grinned when it worked.

"It's just... hearing you rave about your brother's like you do... no one ever does that for me..."

"I will," Jack replied, without even truly thinking about it. He blushed when she looked at him with the surprise that she did.

When their eyes met it was like time stopped. For a moment, the world was just frozen as they shared a moment that would change both of their lives for good. Katherine didn't think before she planted her lips on his, turning so she was on her knees, practically above him as their lips moved together so perfectly. But after a moment, she pulled back with wide eyes... what on earth had gotten into her?

Although there was no denying his absolutely perfect that had been. There was no denying that she wanted more. Lucky for her, she didn't have to wait. Jack was already sliding an arm around the waist and pulling her back to him, kissing her so tenderly and so perfectly that nothing else in the world could compare to it.

"Merry Christmas, Red..." Jack breathed as he pulled away. Katherine looked up at where he nodded to when he said that. It was midnight.

"Merry Christmas, Jack..." she replied softly, going back in for another kiss. But he stopped her.

"You're drunk!" he laughed, shaking his head. "I don't wanna take advantage of you... people are gonna talk already. A guy like me? Some folks'll think I drugged ya, er somethin'..." he almost chuckled. Katherine already knew him well enough to know he would never, not to anyone for anything.

"Later then?"

"If you still want to," the man shrugged, though the smirk was still on his face.

"It's going to be a long night, isn't it?"

"I's got some Christmas movies in the back... what do ya say, Plumber?"

And that would be the first of many Christmases that Jack Kelly and Katherine Pulitzer would spend, curled up on the floor, watching old Christmas movies together. That night would just be the most memorable.

 **And there it was. I hope you guys all enjoyed!**

 **As always, thanks for reading! Make sure to tell me what you liked, what you didn't, what you'd change or what you'd improve by leaving me a review! Love ya, babes!**


	2. Santa Claus Is Comin’ To Town

**brighteyes421: I love Jack and his brothers so much. Thank you so much!**

 **Shadow: It's interesting to me that you don't like Jatherine. Are you a Javid person? I read a lot of those. And they're not bad. I think I just like Jatherine better. Though, me and my friend bexlynne were talking about how Jack could totally be bi. It makes a lot of sense. But I'm glad that you liked this! Thank you so much!**

Alright! Here's chapter two! It takes place a year later! I hope you enjoy!

It was freezing. It was freezing, and Jack was going to kill him and bury him in the snow, and Race didn't care. He had to do this. It wasn't a choice anymore.

The window was so cold Race feared it might break when he knocked on it. He should've grabbed Jack's gloves. Lord knows Jack would reprimand him later for going out in the cold like he did. Jeans, a long sleeve t-shit and the only jacket he owned, not exactly warm enough to protect him from the blizzard. His shoes and socks were soaked through and the beanie on his head didn't do much to keep his hair dry.

But it was all worth it when the window slid open.

"Race!" a small voice squealed, a mix of pure joy and a plea for protection meeting the nineteen-year-old's ear.

The child was small, barely five. He had deep brown eyes and black hair and a smile that made anyone around him melt. "Hey, Gio!" the young man laughed, reaching in to hug the small child close to his chest, partially because of how much he missed him, and partially because he needed the warmth, no matter how small of brief it was. "Merry Christmas, kiddo..."

The boy didn't respond, only nuzzled himself further into the embrace as Race shivered against him. "It don't feel like Christmas, Gara..."

Race knew exactly what he meant. "I know, bubby... I know..."

Before he knew it, he was sitting on the ledge of the window, his legs inside the child's bedroom for all the warmth he could possibly soak up with a sobbing child clinging to his chest. "P-papa says I ain't been good... says Santa ain't comin'..." he whimpered out, letting Race smooth his hair back and cradle him to his chest. "I wus bad, but I dunno wh-what I did wrong..."

"Giovanni, how many times I gotta tell ya that Pa don't know what he's talkin' bout?" the young man almost scolded. He hated that this child listened to that man that he still sought approval from. He was too young to realize that he couldn't be controlled forever. "I happen ta know that you's been a very good boy this year..."

"Really?" Giovanni whispered, lifting his head up so he could look his big brother in the eyes. Half brother, that is. But they were closer than any brothers Gio knew, that was for sure.

"You bet your ass, kiddo..." Race promised. "Ya rememba' my pal Jack?" He laughed at the nod he got in response. Jack was often brought up when Race was with his little brother. He would always talk about the things the big brother did for him and how Jack had gotten him out of this hellhole. "Well... my pal Jackie ain't neva' had Santa skip his house. Santa's a friend a' his."

"For sure?" Giovanni asked, his eyes as wide as plates as he looked up in awe at his big brother. By now the kid knew that Race lived with Jack and had ever since Jack had gotten that call from him all those years ago. Six years, now that Race thought about it. If Jack had been two minutes later, Race might've never opened his eyes again.

"For sure, pal!"

"I wish I could go with you's..."

God help him.

"Ya got a coat, fratellino?"

When the small child, confused and a little frightened when he saw how stressed his big brother was, shook his head Race glanced up quickly to the door, making sure no one was coming, before he shrugged off his own coat and wrapped the thing around his baby brother, scooping the boy up in his arms. He tried to ignore the scrapes on the boy's face and the bruise on the side of his chin. "Race!" the boy squealed. "What're ya doin'?"

"Shshshsh..." Race hushed, swinging his legs out the window and back out onto the fire escape. "I thought you wanted ta meet my big brotha' Jack, kiddo..."

When the boy gasped in excitement, Race could only know that he had to. With Giovanni snuggled up tightly to his chest, he shut the window behind them and managed to get them to the ground before he started running.

Jack was going to kill him.

"My God, Racer! You scared us half ta death!"

Race flinched at the shout. He felt Giovanni grasp onto his shirt even tighter than he had been before. Race was shivering. It was freezing. Jack was rushing up to him the second he walked through the door, Katherine not too far behind. Both of them were covered in flour and sugar. Race knew they were making cookies before he snuck out. Clearly it took them a while to stop making out and realize no one was there to make a snide comment as Crutchie had probably closed himself in his room to wrap gifts a long time ago.

"Race is back?!" Speak of the Devil.

"Where the hell were ya, kid?! It's been over an hour!"

"Not to mention it's freezing out!" Race glared over at Katherine when she spoke up. He knew it was freezing out and he knew he wasn't wearing his jacket and he knew what he'd done was bad.

"Jack, I-"

Before Race could finish a sentence, the boy in his arms sneezed. And Race's eyes widened along with Jack's and Crutchie's, while Katherine watched, thoroughly confused. "Antonio Michael Higgins, tell me you didn't." Jack's voice was almost desperate.

"I had to..."

Giovanni wiggled our from beneath the jacket that was still held around him. His eyes widened at all the adults around him. He pressed further into Race who held him tighter and shut the door behind them with his heel.

"Racetrack... do you have any idea what you've just done?" Race hated it when his brother sounded like that. So disappointed.

Katherine, on the other hand, completely melted at the sight of the boy in Race's arms. "Who's this?" she asked quietly, trying her best not to frighten the boy even further. She could see the scratches and bruises on his face. She wasn't an idiot. Race knew that Jack had told her, if only briefly, about his relationship with his father.

"It's okay, Gio..." Race murmured, leaning down to his brother's ear. "This is Katherine. Katherine, this is Giovanni, my baby brother..." he introduced, gently kneeling so he could set the boy on the ground. The boy stayed shyly at his chest, not wanting to leave his embrace. But by the look that Race saw in Jack's eyes, he knew he couldn't stay. They needed to have a talk. "Gio, why don't you go into the kitchen with my friend Katherine while me n' Jack talk, okay?"

Katherine slowly reached a hand out to the boy, only for Giovanni to turn right around and grip onto the front of his big brother's shirt. "Hey, it's okay, buddy... I'll be right there, I promise." The child still wasn't completely convinced, but Race ran a hand through his hair and pressed a quick kiss to his head before lightly pushing him towards his big brother's girlfriend.

Katherine gave Jack a look, as if to tell him to be gentle despite not entirely knowing what was happening, but being the smart girl she was, figuring it out pretty quickly. Then she took Giovanni's hand and lead him into the kitchen, saying something about making cookies, very gently to the boy who did give her a hesitant smile in response, but looked back at Race, probably wishing he'd just follow them in. The young man just nodded at the child with an encouraging smile before the pair was safely in the kitchen, not about to witness whatever was to happen next.

In all honestly, Race hadn't really known what to expect. He knew his big brother wasn't happy with him. But the thing he expected least of all was the warm embrace he was forcibly yanked into and the blanket that was wrapped tightly around him. The Italian shivered and finally felt himself wanting to collapse at the sudden heat. "Charlie, c'n ya crank up the heater?" The other boy was gone in a second, leaving Race alone with his big brother. It wasn't until Crutchie was out of sight that Race melted completely. He let his head fall onto Jack's shoulder and he let the older man run hands up and down his back to try and warm him up.

It was freezing.

"What were you thinking, Racer?"

There it was. The disappointment.

"I couldn't leave him there..."

It was a year ago that Race had found out. Five years after running away and seeking protection with Jack, Race had gone back to the prison he'd been trapped in for the majority of his childhood because he'd wanted to see the man that he'd left behind all those years ago. He thought maybe he'd be upset about losing his only son. He thought maybe the man would even be dead without his only child to take care of him after being manipulated and beat time and time again. Instead, he'd slipped in his old bedroom to find another little boy in his old bed. At first, he'd thought maybe a new family had moved in. That is, until Race had seen the kid...

He had his father's eyes.

The child had only been four at the time. He was still so innocent. Race thought maybe he'd be okay. After all, his dad hadn't started hitting him until he was at leash seven... after his mom left... after years of cleaning up the drunk man, helping him out of bed and into the car since he was barely seven years old. Then, little Antonio had dropped a glass plate and gotten smacked across the face. He'd expected an apology. It wouldn't be the first time. Normally his papa would hold him after that and apologize like mad. Not this time. This time, he didn't stop.

That's when the actual beatings started.

"I didn't wanna see him like you saw me..."

Bloodied, beaten, broken and completely ruined. That's how he was when Jack saved him. He couldn't wait for it to get that bad. Not when it was Giovanni they were talking about.

Jack pulled back, holding Race at arms length as he shook his head, an angry disappointed look still in his forest green eyes. "Racer, you know damn well that this is kidnapping. You could go ta jail for this!"

"Jack, I couldn't leave him!"

"You damn well coulda!"

"Like you left me?" Race challenged, standing his ground and clenching his jaw. "Like ya left Crutchie?"

With wide eyes, Jack shook his head. "That was different any you know it!"

It wasn't. Not really. Sure, Jack has saved them both from dying, but let Giovanni get a little further down the road and they'd have to do the same thing. Jack could've gone to jail too. But he hadn't. Because they were smart about it. They only told people who needed to know. That was it. Race was almost positive his father still didn't know where he was.

It couldn't get that bad for his baby brother.

"I can't just leave him there..." Race said again, more determined, his eyes locking in on his big brother's, almost daring the older man to argue with him.

But Jack, knowing how dangerous this was, just shook his head, putting his hands on his hips and watching his little brother shiver. "He is too young for this," the man sighed. "We got through because you was old enough ta go out on your own an' your pa was used ta you not bein' home. They's gonna notice that their five-year-old is missin' on Christmas Eve."

"I think you's givin' them too much credit-"

"Don't be a smart ass right now, Antonio! You walked two miles through a blizzard and took a five year old out of his house on Christmas Eve! This isn't a joke!" Race flinched. He knew it wasn't a joke. He knew that all too well. Charlie still wasn't in the room, knowing it was a bad idea to interrupt an argument like this when Jack was so worked up.

"Could we talk about this later?" Race pleaded, not wanting to get into a yelling match with the man he'd looked up to since he was ten years old.

"No, Race! We can't! You know damn well what could happen if ya don't-"

"Please stop..." a small voice interrupted. A little boy ran in between the two young men, wrapping his small arms tightly around his big brother's legs and squeezing his eyes shut, like he was bracing himself for impact. Race reached down to run a hand through his hair, whilst giving Jack a heartbroken look. "W's he gonna hit you, fratello?"

Without even thinking, Race shook his head. "Of course not, G..." the boy swore, kneeling down and taking the kid's face in his hands. "Giovanni, this is my big brother, Jack. He would never, ever hurt me..."

As much as Jack wanted to be angry and frustrated and scared for his friend right then, his heart melted at the words. It had taken years for Race to stop gasping every time Jack brushed up against him. It took too long to get Race to stop waking up in the middle of the night and cleaning the kitchen. It took Jack too long to get used to waking up to screaming in the middle of the night. So those words made a warmth fill up in the man's chest.

"Hey, kid..." Jack smiled gently, sitting down on the ground in front of the pair. Katherine was standing in the kitchen doorway, watching silently, and Crutchie was doing the same from the bedroom door. Giovanni snuggled into Race's chest when Jack extended a hand to him. Jack's smile saddened just a little bit and he lowered his hand. "I ain't gonna hurt Race. I promise... n' no one here is gonna hurt you either, okay?"

With a look up at Race for confirmation the boy nodded his head. Jack smiled at him and gave Race a pointed look that said this conversation wasn't over before standing back to his feet.

"Jack?" a hesitant voice asked as Jack turned, about to go back into the kitchen.

The man stopped, turning back to the boy and nodding at him. "Yeah, Giovanni?"

The child stood for a moment, shyly, his little arms around his torso, not knowing if he should speak or not. But after Race nudged him a bit, he felt brave enough to talk. "'Tonio says Santa always comes ta yer house... is that true?" It was so clear that the child didn't believe the big man was coming. It was so clear he was scared he'd done something wrong.

A laugh escaped Jack's lips as he nodded. "Of course it is, pal! Santa's a friend a' mine!" he assured. "But we still gotta make cookies f'r him tonight. I ain't the best at decoratin' 'em though... wanna help me an' Kathy?"

Race's heart absolutely melted when his baby brother grinned and nodded in excitement. Jack extended his hand for the child to take, and the kid looked up at his big brother for permission before he took it and let Jack lead him back to the kitchen, taking Katherine along with him. Race watched them go, his heart aching a little bit as he thought about taking Giovanni back to the hell he'd just taken him away from.

Crutchie smirked at the older boy still standing in the living room, holding a blanket tightly around himself as he tried to get himself to stop shivering. "How long've you been savin' your tips, Racer?"

A small smile made its way to the Italian's lips as he turned to his younger friend, limping up to him from the room they shared. "Three months..." he admitted with a shrug. It had been hard. He'd known since he'd first met the kid that this would happen eventually. It was his baby brother and he'd missed out on spoiling him for the first four years of his life.

Now was the time.

"Ya think your pa'll come lookin'?"

Race shivered at the thought. "I don't know..." he sighed sadly. Part of him wished he would. At least maybe he'd care enough to look. Maybe he did actually love Gio, and maybe he did want to spend Christmas with him and maybe he'd just been drunk when he'd told the boy Santa wasn't coming. The other part of him never wanted to see that manipulative, abusive, son of a bitch ever again.

"'Tonio! 'Tonio! Jack says we c'n eat cookies! C'mon!" Before Race knew what hit him, Giovanni had rushed back into the room and grabbed his hand. Crutchie just smirked at him and followed them both into the kitchen, wanting to meet the boy he'd heard so much about.

"Jesus, Jack... what the hell didja do ta the kitchen?"

It was a mess. There was flour everywhere and burned cookies on the stove. But the cookie that Giovanni was happily devouring actually looked alright.

"Look, it ain't my fault!" Jack defended, laughing when Katherine glared at him and threw even more flour at him. "She's the one that kept distractin' me!"

"Race, c'mon!" Giovanni ordered from the table. Race rolled his eyes and sat next to his brother, letting Crutchie sit down on the other side of the table, smiling at the small child.

"Hey there, kiddo... my name's Crutchie. You must be Giovanni, right?" With a mouthful of sugar and frosting, the content little boy nodded his head and leaned closer to his big brother. "You must be real excited 'bout Santa comin' tonight..." Giovanni nodded eagerly.

"Yeah? Did you ask Santa for something special?" Katherine asked, pouring the small boy a glass of milk and smiling as she watched Race run a hand through the kid's dark hair. All she got was a nod in response. The boy was busy licking his fingers and looking at how the sugary substance was turning his hands as green as the frosting.

"What'd ya ask for, buddy?" Race asked, praying whatever it was was one of the many presents the boy would get the next morning.

"I already got it..." the kid admitted, reaching for a napkin and then pretty much downing the milk Katherine had gotten for him.

"Ya did?" Jack asked, shoving another pan of dough into the oven and starting a timer. This kid was one of the cutest little kids he'd ever seen. He hated himself for getting angry with his friend for taking him out of the home that they all knew was bad news. But the sad truth was, what he'd done was bad. It was illegal. But at the moment, Jack couldn't find it in himself to care.

"Mhm... but Santa didn't get it f'r me... I don't think Mama sent the letter..."

With a sigh, Race smoothed the hair out of his brother's face and grabbed a napkin, helping the child clear up his hands. "Well what was it, fratellino?"

"I wanted ta spend Christmas with you..."

The whole room sobered at that. Giovanni went about his business, frosting cookies and drinking his milk, clueless to the tears in Race's eyes and the shock of his big brother's friends. Race just stared down at the boy for a long while, wondering if he'd imagined that. All he wanted was for his little brother to feel loved and safe. So, after a moment, the young man recovered and brought the child tightly into his arms. Giovanni just smiled and nuzzled himself into the embrace of the only person who'd ever looked out for him.

"I love you, kiddo..."

"Ti voglio bene, 'Tonio..."

It wasn't until a few hours later, when little Giovanni was snuggled up and warm in Race's bed, that Race sat down in the living room with a bag of gifts in his arms, waiting for his three best friends to just say something. They were all staring, debating on whether or not to speak. Eventually, Katherine just sighed.

"Would you just adopt him?" she asked, like it was obvious and they'd all been thinking it. Race looked up, shocked and taken aback. "Don't act like you haven't thought about it! I've known you for a year, Race. When you want something, you go behind Jack's back and you get it and when he tries to tell you you shouldn't have, you wait for whatever you did to be justified."

Wow. She had him there.

"Damn, Ace... that kid's already wrapped around your finger, ain't he?" Jack laughed.

With a chuckle, Race added, "he has a way with the ladies. Everyone falls in love with him..."

Crutchie's eyes widened and he and Jack made eye contact just in time for him to rush out a name. "Romeo!" Jack tried to argue with him, but Crutchie shook his head. "I said it first, Jack! Ya don't get credit for this one!"

The name made sense, Race had to admit. Romeo. The kid had some charm. "Romeo... I like it..."

Plopping down on the couch next to his best friend, Crutchie shrugged. "So... whaddya say, Racer?"

"Katherine's got a lawyer friend..." Jack added with a smile. "If ya wanna do this, ya gotta do it right... I didn't with you kids an' I regret it everyday..."

Race shrugged and nodded. "I wanna do it..." he whispered, a smile spreading across his lips.

And that night they celebrated by eating cookies and spreading presents out under the tree. It was the first of many Christmases that would spend, shushing themselves as they watched Christmas movies together and tried not to wake the sleeping child in the backroom, dreaming of flying reindeers and a man in a big red suit. "Merry Christmas guys..."

"Merry Christmas..."

And a Merry Christmas it was, indeed.

 **Alright so there's gonna be one more part to this story. I hope you guys enjoyed this!**

 **As always, thanks for reading! Make sure to tell me what you liked, what you didn't, what you'd change or what you'd improve by leaving me a review! Love ya, kiddos!**


	3. Auld Lang Syne

**MyHeadIsSpinning: Aww Thank you so much!**

 **brighteyes421: Thank you so much! I'm so glad you like this!**

 **FansieForever: Thank you thank you! That means so much!**

 **Les Phansie: he's trying! Thank you so much for the review!**

 **Shadow: I guess I can understand that, but I've always loved this ship. And Romeo has all our hearts, lol. Thank you so much!**

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 **Alright! Here it is! The last installment, taking place a year after the last.**

 **Please enjoy!**

His phone stayed stubbornly silent. Maybe if he stared at it long enough it would ring. That had to be it. He could make it ring with his mind. Who was he kidding? He'd been sitting there for too long, his chin resting on his arms as he stared at his stupid phone waiting for it to go off.

It was Christmas Eve. It was freezing out. Jack and Katherine were snowed in at the Pulitzer's mansion. Judging by the last text he'd gotten from his best friend, things were pretty tense. Race had gotten caught at work, he was probably stuck there. Now Crutchie was left with nothing but his phone and a much too eager six year old running around the apartment that was getting smaller and smaller by the second.

"Charlie!" Speak of the Devil. "It's Christmas _Eve_! Come out of your room!" The boy was whining at him. Crutchie had locked himself in his room an hour ago, waiting for this call, hoping that Rudolph would keep the kid occupied until it was finished. He was wrong.

"Romeo, would ya keep it down?! Go watch anotha' movie!"

"I don' wanna! I wanna make cookies f'r Santa!"

Of course the kid wanted to make cookies for Santa. He was six years old. Here Crutchie was waiting for the one call on Christmas Eve that he always got and all Romeo wanted to do was make cookies. But Crutchie must've stayed silent for too long, because Romeo just knocked on his door and cried, "C'mon Crutchie!" The seventeen year old had to admit that there was a kind of desperation in that young plea, like the boy was scared of being alone.

Scared of being alone again on Christmas.

But Crutchie couldn't afford to miss this. It was the one time of the entire year that she called. He couldn't just ignore it. Jack told him to. Ignore it, that is. He said she wasn't worth it.

He was probably right. But that didn't stop the longing for him to hear from her again.

It was funny how everyone but him remembered only the bad. He remembered the bad all too well. Sometimes the words still got to him and he had to wake Jack up at night to make it all stop. Jack told him he didn't mind. He'd do it again and again without any kind of complaint. But that didn't make Crutchie feel any less guilty.

But there had been good, once. A long, long time ago, when his life had been whole.

"Charlie?"

"Not now, Romeo..." the teenager whimpered. He'd been sitting there staring at his phone for at least an hour. Maybe she'd just be a little late this year. He buried his face in his arms and tried to hold back his tears. This was stupid. Waiting for the woman who'd made him so depressed to call him and wish him a Merry Christmas and make sure he was okay because Jack told her she couldn't see him again. Crutchie didn't argue. She was toxic.

But she was also his mother.

The buzzing made Crutchie's head shoot up. His heart skipped a beat and he grabbed his phone, looking at who was calling for him, only to groan at the name on the screen. "What, Race?"

"Well Merry Christmas ta you too, Mr. Grumpy," Race teased on the other end, though he sounded absolutely exhausted and more than anxious.

"What d'ya want?"

"Ta talk ta someone who ain't my boss or my asshole co-workers. What's a' matta' wit' you?" Crutchie let out an aggravated sigh. He was more irritable than he had been in a long time. And that was all the answer Race needed. "She ain't called yet, huh?"

"Think she forgot?" the younger boy laughed out bitterly. He hated that he still loved her. He hated that he wanted to see her again. He hated that he missed her smile. She was awful and manipulative and degrading. He shouldn't care. But he did. "I j'st... I-"

"I know, Crutch... why d'ya think I went home all those years ago?" Race asked. Crutchie could hear his friend's throat tighten. "I missed my Papa... but he ain't the same no more, pal... you're Ma ain't the same either..."

"I j'st wanna talk ta her... Jack won' let me see her again. She said she was seein' a docta', Race... maybe shes betta'..." he prayed everyday that she was. She had to be. That woman that had told him all of those awful things... that wasn't his mother.

A sigh from the other side of the call made Crutchie's shoulders sag. "Crutch... there weren't a scarier minute in my life th'n when Jack called me an' told me what happened... I thought you was dead... she did that, n' I don't like the idea a' her callin' either..."

He remembered. He remembered all too well Jack catching him and holding him tightly while he called Race to come and get his things so they could take him out of that hell. He remembered how Jack could barely get through a sentence because if he'd decided to wait thirty more seconds before walking into that room, Crutchie would be dead. He remembered it all. He wished he couldn't buy he could.

"Look... I know ya wanna hear fr'm her... but could ya wait with my kid who's still used ta spendin' Christmas alone in his room?"

Yes, Crutchie felt guilty. This was the third year in a row that the snow had been too much. Race was supposed to be home hours ago to help Romeo make cookies for Santa and Jack wasn't supposed to be stuck in a house with his girlfriend's father.

"Fine. I'll help him make cookies..." Crutchie sighed, pushing away from his desk and grabbing for his crutch.

"Can I talk ta him?"

With a roll of his eyes, Crutchie opened his door to find the little boy that had been living with them for the past year simply sitting crisscross outside the door, waiting for the thing to be opened. "Here," the boy with the crutch said dryly, handing his phone down to the curious boy sitting in front of him. Romeo looked at the thing for a minute before hesitantly taking it from Crutchie.

"Hello?" Limping over to the couch, Crutchie dropped down, not really wanting to see Romeo's face light up when he heard his big brother's voice. "Race! I miss you! When 're ya comin' home?"

The seventeen year old tuned out the one side of the conversation that he could hear. All he could do was sit and stare blankly at the menu for Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer and wonder why this was his life.

He loved his brothers more than anything in the world. And Romeo was absolutely adorable. He loved the kid with his whole heart and he was more grateful everyday that Race had decided to go through with the adoption. But it wasn't normal.

He wished he could still see his mother. He wished his father hadn't been pushed into the street all those years ago. He wished that driver had been paying attention. He wished he could have two working legs and play sports and wrestle with his friends and be _normal_. He wished he could talk to his mother. He wished she could be his mother again.

"Okay... I love you, 'Tonio... bye..."

Crutchie had barely even heard that. But the next thing he knew, his phone was on the table next to him and a small child was in his lap. "Charlie... why are you sad?"

"You wouldn't understand, Romeo..." was the response that slipped from his lips. Romeo shouldn't have to understand.

"Race said that you w's waitin' f'r someone..."

"It ain't nothin'... j'st... I thought you said you wan'ed ta make cookies..."

Maybe a distraction would help.

An excited gasp escaped the child and it was then that Crutchie remembered that last year had been the first time ever that he'd had a visit from Santa Claus. The boy was practically bouncing up and down as he jumped to his feet and started rushing towards the kitchen with a wide grin. "Okay, slow down there kid... ya know I can't run..." despite that awful sentence, there was a small smile pulling at Crutchie's lips. He loved seeing that kid so excited.

Sharing a room with a six year old Romeo reminded him painfully of sharing a room with Race when they'd first been saved from their awful homes. Romeo rarely got through a night without calling for someone. Mostly, Race came running before Crutchie could even think of what to do. Sometimes Jack would get there first. The kid was normally hysterical. Jack would try to tell him he was going to hyperventilate, but Romeo didn't care. Some of it was normal things that could scare a child. Ghosts, falling, being chased. They'd all been through it. But waking up in a fit because he'd just watched his father murder the man who fought like hell to adopt him wasn't something that Crutchie was familiar with.

The boy was as energetic as they came though. During the day it was a miracle if someone could get him sit in one place for five minutes. He almost always had a smile on his face. But Crutchie knew a fake smile when he spotted one.

Seeing Romeo genuinely excited and not scared out of his mind was a win in Charlie's book.

"Charlie we should make cookies f'r Race n' Jack n' Kitty because they ain't here."

Charlie laughed a little at that. He was thinking more along the lines of buying Jack some whiskey and getting Race a warm blanket and a new pillow. He couldn't imagine what they had to be going through right then.

"I think that's a great idea, kiddo. I think they's gonna love that."

And they got down to business. Crutchie laughed a little bit as Romeo threw some flour at him and he tossed some flour right back. By the time they got the cookies into the over, the kitchen was an absolute mess and both of them had food all over them. But Romeo was sitting happily, frosting at least ten cookies at once while simultaneously eating as much of the sugary substance as he could. Crutchie simply watched him and decorated his own cookie, almost forgetting about his phone.

Almost.

"Are all those f'r you?" Crutchie asked, ignoring the tug in his brain to check his phone again. Maybe he'd missed it, or hadn't heard it ring.

With a shake of his head, Romeo simply stated, "Race."

"Not Jack?" Crutchie asked with a laugh. He knew damn well that the kid looked up to Jack almost as much as he looked up to Race. It made sense with how much Race looked up to Jack.

"You's gotta make the cookies f'r Jack."

"Why's that, kid?"

"Cause Race is my brotha' n' Jack is yours."

Crutchie wasn't entirely sure why that statement hit him so hard. He had no idea that Romeo had no idea that him and Jack weren't actually related. "Romeo... ya know that me an' Jack ain't..." he trailed off, not knowing how to put it exactly.

"Ain't what?" The boy paused in his cookie making. He looked up with those big brown eyes and Crutchie felt himself melting.

Jack was the closest thing he had to a brother. Him and Race. And they were brothers. Just... not by blood. Not like Race and Romeo. Not like real family... right?

But Jack was his family. Jack had taken on the role of... well... everything. He'd taken him in when Crutchie was no older than twelve after trying to-

Jack was his family. Jack was everything rolled up into one. Jack had taken care of him and protected him and told him how amazing he was and how much he loved him everyday. Jack held him when he cried and celebrated with him when he was happy.

"Nothin'. Never mind, Gio..."

The child shrugged and moved on like nothing had even happened. He began to ramble. Crutchie wasn't sure half of the things he said was English. He was only eight five percent sure it might be Italian.

Crutchie just shook his head and began to send videos to Race and pictures to Jack, more to distract them both from anything else. Race responded almost almost immediately with a laughing emoji and Jack simply left the text on read, probably in the middle of a tense conversation. With a second to think, Crutchie sighed and knew what he had to do. "Ya wanna talk ta Jack, Romeo?"

"Yes! An' we c'n tell him that we made him cookies!"

Another laugh escaped him as he dialed in Jack's number and put the thing on speaker letting it ring a few times before a very stressed voice began speaking. "So help me God, please tell me you found a way ta get me outta here."

"First of all, careful with your words. There's a child present," Crutchie replies quickly, knowing that Jack had a tendency to start swearing when he felt trapped or anxious. "Second of all, is it really that bad?"

"Every time Katherine leaves the room he treats me like I's some kinda creep that broke outta jail!" Jack sounded irritated enough. But Crutchie still couldn't help but chuckle at that.

"You _did_ break outta jail, Jack..." he muttered with a smile.

A sigh was heard and Crutchie looked up to see Romeo looking very confused up at him. But Crutchie didn't answer his silent question. "That was different. But seriously. I'm about ta walk through the snow ta get home. Racer's about the same way."

"I know... I talked ta him not too long ago..."

He wished they were all together. Katherine too. She was part of their makeshift family now, and judging by the gift that Jack was gonna give her tomorrow, she probably would be for the rest of their lives. That is, if she said yes.

"Jack, it's okay! We made you cookies!"

And just like that, Jack's tone changed from on the brink of screaming to a light, happy tone within seconds. Hearing Romeo's voice must've been like magic to him. Crutchie could understand that. They continued talking like that for a while. It would be the first Christmas Eve they spent apart and the only from that moment on. That didn't stop them from calling each other constantly.

She never called. But that was okay. Crutchie had a family. And they were just perfect for him.

They weren't normal. They were family.

 **There you have it, folks! The last chapter of this story!**

 **I thought this would be the last one, but alas I was wrong. One more is on the way! I'm gonna try really hard to get it up before Christmas! So keep an eye out!**

 **As always, thanks for reading! Make sure to tell me what you liked, what you didn't, what you'd change or what you'd improve by leaving me a review! Love ya, fansies!**


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